Plant Health & Nutrition

Lesaffre’s “Plant health & nutrition” business unit develops products aimed at protecting plants and fruit from the diseases or insects affecting them, in addition to introducing new plant nutrition concepts.

Plant health

Most crops and harvests are today treated against diseases and insects using chemical products. However, in nature we find a number of microorganisms capable of limiting the presence and the spread of other microorganisms, and of insects, mites, etc. So why not put these benefits to good use?

As a yeast specialist, Lesaffre applies its expertise to the selection and production of such microorganisms in special facilities. These include certain yeasts! Before being sold on the general market, these non-GMO microorganisms must undergo “approval”. This means that they are subjected to a long, complex and costly process involving the verification of their various characteristics and their effectiveness against diseases, not to mention their harmlessness for man and environment.

A remarkable example of a product of this type is a yeast designed to protect certain fruit varieties after harvesting. Fruit is stored in a cool chamber in order to enable consumers to be able to consume it out of season. Unfortunately, even under these conditions it can still rot or go mouldy, due to certain fungal or bacterial diseases. This fruit is usually treated with one or several chemical products. As an alternative, Lesaffre will soon be proposing a treatment for fruit using naturally produced yeast, specially selected and formulated to combat fruit diseases.

Plant nutrition

A number of means are available to facilitate plant nutrition and to make better use of the soil’s resources. In this area too, Lesaffre’s research contributes to creating effective and environmentally friendly solutions.

The Plant health & nutrition products are designed for professionals and will gradually be made available in various markets.

Lesaffre is seen as a reference in the yeast and bread-making fields. Its knowledge of yeast and its expertise in the fermentation have encouraged the Lesaffre group to establish a presence in the emerging human and animal nutrition markets.